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	<channel>		<title>RUWT? News</title>
		<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com</link>
		<description>RUWT? News for Kansas City</description>
		<language>en-us</language>
		<copyright>Copyright 2006-2007 areyouwatchingthis.com</copyright>
		<lastBuildDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 07:54:14 GMT</lastBuildDate>
		<pubDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 07:54:14 GMT</pubDate>
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			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Lopez's PK lifts Wizards into tie with D.C. United]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[KANSAS CITY, Kan. (STATS) - One foul in the penalty area
launched D.C. United's second-half comeback, but the next one
rendered that meaningless.

The only common factor was the same man was at the heart of both
plays.

Claudio Lopez's penalty kick in second-half stoppage time
salvaged a 2-2 tie for the Kansas City Wizards on Saturday
night, effectively ending D.C. United's playoff hopes in the
regular-season finale for both teams.

Brazilian midfielder Fred drew a foul that led to Jaime Moreno's
67th-minute penalty kick, pulling United into a 1-1 tie. But
after Julius James' 82nd-minute header put D.C. up 2-1, Fred
drew a handball penalty and an automatic red card for using his
upper arm to block Roger Espinoza's shot on the goal line in the
second minute of stoppage time.

Lopez then drove the ball past Steve Cronin to close the
scoring.

"From my opinion, it wasn't a PK," Fred said. "My arm was close
at the shoulder, and I turned in a little bit with the right
shoulder, and it got me. I think because I made a move, he gave
me the penalty."

United coach Tom Soehn, however, didn't second-guess referee
Ricardo Salazar's decision to award the penalty.

"He made a pretty quick call," Soehn said. "I guess it must have
been one."

With six teams still in the hunt for the final two playoff spots
going into the weekend, D.C. (9-8-13) could have qualified with
a draw but would have needed plenty of help.

"We'll have to see how the results go first," forward Chris
Pontius said, "but for it to end this way, in this type of game
- we were up 2-1 and we were thinking we were going to go
through. It's tough to sit and  watch the results when
everything's out of your hands."

The Wizards (8-13-9), winless in their final five matches, were
eliminated with last week's 3-2 home loss to Seattle.

"That was what we wanted, not to lose the last game at home and
to get that point," said forward Kei Kamara, whose 30th-minute
header put the Wizards up 1-0. "That, and to send them home
without a win."

Moreno, a late first-half sub, converted his penalty kick after
Fred drew a foul against Kansas City's Matt Marquess. Replays
showed Fred backing into Marquess, who was making his first
appearance of the season, and falling backward to the pitch.

"He got me," Fred said with a laugh. "I had to fall down."

James made it 2-1, heading the ball home from point-blank range
after pouncing on a short punch-save by Kansas City goalkeeper
Kevin Hartman.

Kamara's goal from 6 yards, off a free kick from Graham Zusi,
was his sixth of the season but the first since Kansas City
acquired him from Houston in mid-September.

It was only the 12th first-half goal for Kansas City this year.
The Wizards are 8-0-4 when scoring first.

"Once we got our second wind, I thought we did a lot better,"
Soehn said. "I injected some fresh legs, but ultimately we came
up short."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/128776-Lopezs-PK-lifts-Wizards-into-tie-with-DC-United</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/128776-Lopezs-PK-lifts-Wizards-into-tie-with-DC-United</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 25 Oct 2009 04:32:39 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[United-Wizards Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
STATS Writer

D.C. (9-8-12) at Kansas City (8-13-8), 8:30 p.m. EDT

For a second consecutive year, D.C. United enter the final
weekend of the regular season needing a win - and a little help
- to reach the MLS Cup playoffs.

After falling short of the postseason in 2008, United are one of
six teams vying for the final two berths in the 2009 playoffs
Saturday night when they visit the Kansas City Wizards, one of
three clubs already eliminated from contention.

Last year, D.C. needed to beat Columbus on the final day of the
regular season, but it came up empty on 19 shots while hitting
the post three times in a 1-0 loss to the eventual MLS Cup
champion. It was the first time in six years United failed to
reach the playoffs.

One year later, United (9-8-12) enter the final weekend of the
season tied for the eighth and final playoff spot with Toronto,
New England and Dallas - one point back of seventh-place
Colorado and two in front of Salt Lake.

While D.C. needs to beat Kansas City (8-13-8) to get back to the
postseason, it also needs some of the other playoff hopefuls to
lose this weekend. The convoluted race has more than 50
potential scenarios involving the six teams still fighting to
keep their seasons alive.

"That's just the situation that we're in. All we can do is go
out to Kansas City and get the three points," defender Dejan
Jakovic told United's official Web site. "There's not too much
to it. We've got to come out strong and fight like we've been
doing the last couple games, and hope for the best."

D.C. greatly improved its playoff chances last Saturday, beating
the Crew 1-0 as Luciano Emilio's 17th-minute goal held up. The
victory ended United's first three-game home losing streak since
2000.

"In this stage of the game, with so much on the line, I think
the team's in a good place confidence-wise and knowing that we
can go on the road and get a result," coach Tom Soehn said.

Soehn opted to rest a number of starters Tuesday, and D.C.
played to a 1-all tie with Mexico's Toluca to get eliminated
from CONCACAF Champions League play.

United may have found an answer in goal with Steve Cronin, who
made six saves last weekend against the Crew just days after
being acquired on loan from Portland of the USL. Cronin, once
considered one of the top U.S. goalkeeping prospects, has
stepped in to replace Josh Wicks, who suffered season-ending
injuries to his shoulder and knee during a 2-1 loss to San Jose
on Sept. 27.

"Steve did a great job," Soehn said. "It's always difficult
coming into a new environment. Early in the week I recall him
asking, 'who's he?' and 'who's he?' And you wouldn't have
guessed that (against Columbus) because he really solidified
things, made great decisions. He looks like he's been with us
all year."

D.C. beat visiting Kansas City 1-0 on Sept. 9, and the teams
played to a 1-all tie in their first meeting at CommunityAmerica
Ballpark on May 6.

The Wizards are looking to finish their season on a positive
note after going 0-2-2 since Sept. 26 to fall out of playoff
contention. They lost 3-2 to Seattle last Saturday, squandering
a one-goal lead with 21 minutes left.

"The real bane of our existence this season is just not scoring
the timely goal," defender Jimmy Conrad said. "We're stepping on
somebody's throat, and we don't have the goal to show it. Good
teams always find a way to score that crucial goal."

Kansas City's 16 goals at home are tied with Chicago and Los
Angeles for fewest in the league.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/128491-United-Wizards-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/128491-United-Wizards-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 24 Oct 2009 02:44:01 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Expansion Sounders headed to playoffs]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By STEVE BRISENDINE
STATS MLS Correspondent

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (STATS) - The Seattle Sounders might be the
first MLS expansion team in 11 years to make the playoffs in its
inaugural season, but they still have a long way to go to match
the achievements of the league's most successful expansion club.

With Saturday night's 3-2 comeback victory over the Kansas City
Wizards, Seattle joined the 1998 Chicago Fire on the short list
of teams that kept playing after their first regular season.

Chicago won the MLS Cup that year - but Sigi Schmid, who is the
first coach to take three teams to the playoffs and won titles
with the first two, said even making the postseason is more
difficult now.

"The scenario is a lot different than when Chicago did it," said
Schmid, who led Columbus to last year's championship and also
coached the Los Angeles Galaxy to the Cup in 2002. "The league
was a lot younger then. I'm proud of our team, I'm proud of what
we've done all season, but I still think we can play better
soccer."

Nate Jaqua capped a high-scoring second half with a 76th-minute
goal to give Seattle (11-7-11) its postseason-clinching win. It
was a shot of redemption for Jaqua, who hit the crossbar in the
first half.

"I felt like if I got another chance, I was going to put it in,"
he said.

Zoltan Hercegfalvi and Josh Wolff scored three minutes apart
early in the second half for Kansas City (8-13-8), putting the
Wizards up 2-1. However, Seattle's Roger Levesque tied it with a
header in the 69th minute and Jaqua scored the game-winner seven
minutes later.

Freddie Ljungberg drove almost to the endline in the Wizards'
penalty area, then crossed to Jaqua for an easy tap-in from
point-blank range. It was the second assist of the night for
Ljungberg, who also started the sequence that led to Seattle's
first goal.

"The goal was a tremendous effort by Freddie Ljungberg," Schmid
said. "The work he did down the line, getting along the end
line, beating two players and getting the ball to Nate, that was
tremendous soccer."

Even before the loss, Kansas City was eliminated from playoff
contention when Toronto FC beat Real Salt Lake 1-0 earlier
Saturday.

"We played OK tonight," Wolff said. "We created several chances,
we converted a couple - but on the flip side, we gave away a
couple of really bad goals. We can't have that happen."

Tyrone Marshall had a goal and an assist for Seattle. He scored
on a putback from close range in the 28th minute, after Wizards
keeper Kevin Hartman made a diving save on Ljungberg's bending
corner kick.Then, in the second half, Marshall nodded on another
of Ljungberg's corners to set up Levesque's equalizer.

Hercegfalvi, making his first MLS start, scored on an assist
from Michael Harrington in the 51st minute. Wolff made it 2-1 in
the 54th, on a tap-in of Davy Arnaud's cross.

It was Wolff's 11th goal of the season, a career high.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/127190-Expansion-Sounders-headed-to-playoffs</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/127190-Expansion-Sounders-headed-to-playoffs</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 18 Oct 2009 04:12:39 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Sounders-Wizards Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JEFF MEZYDLO
STATS Senior Writer

Seattle (10-7-11) at Kansas City (8-12-8), 8:30 p.m. EDT

Seattle Sounders FC is on the verge of doing something that
hasn't been done in 11 years.

The league's biggest surprise this season, the expansion
Sounders look to clinch a playoff spot with a victory at Kansas
City on Saturday night.

Seattle (10-7-11) is trying to become the second club in MLS
history to clinch a playoff berth in its inaugural season after
Chicago did it in 1998.

The Sounders, sixth in the eight-team playoff format with two
games remaining, could also secure a postseason spot with a draw
or even a loss depending on other results around the league this
weekend.

They hope it doesn't come down to that.

"It's nice to be in control of your own destiny," coach Sigi
Schmid told the Sounders' official Web site. "It's always a lot
better to be in the position that we are in. The only scoreboard
we need to watch is our own scoreboard."

Though the Sounders have scored seven goals while going 3-4-4
since last winning consecutive matches in early July, they are
coming off a 1-0 win at Columbus on Oct. 3.

They snapped the Crew's 24-game home unbeaten streak as Schmid
returned to Columbus after guiding that club to its first MLS
Cup last season.

Seattle recorded its fifth shutout in 11 matches thanks to
another solid effort from Kasey Keller, who's second in MLS with
10 shutouts and a 0.87 goals-against average.

More importantly, it moved the Sounders closer to a postseason
berth.

"Our main goal is to make the playoffs right now and we need
every point we can get," said forward Roger Levesque, who scored
his first career goal in the Columbus match. "It'll be the same
thing in Kansas City; those points are going to be just as
important as these were."

While this match could have historical significance for Seattle,
it's a must-win for Kansas City (8-12-8), which is six points
behind New England for the eighth and final playoff spot.

Anything but a win in this contest, or any point earned by the
Revolution against Chicago this weekend, would eliminate the
Wizards from playoff contention. Kansas City hosts D.C. in its
regular-season finale Oct. 24.

"It's pretty simple. We know we have to win those games,"
interim coach Peter Vermes told the Wizards' official Web site.
"But more importantly, we have to be sure our performance is
good. If our performance is good, and we can hold onto something
for 90 minutes and play and know how to manage the game, then we
give ourselves a good chance to gain those points."

That might not be easy for the Wizards, who fell to 0-1-2 in
their last three with a 2-0 loss at CD Chivas USA last Saturday.
They now return home, where they haven't played well all season.

Kansas City has scored the least home goals in MLS with 14 and
is tied for the fewest home wins in the league, going 4-5-4 at
CommunityAmerica Ballpark.

The Wizards won 1-0 at Seattle on April 11 as Davy Arnaud, third
on the club with five goals, scored in the 80th minute. The
Sounders then beat Kansas City 1-0 in the U.S. Open Cup
quarterfinals July 7 on Sebastien Le Toux's penalty kick in the
89th.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/126837-Sounders-Wizards-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/126837-Sounders-Wizards-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:11:25 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Chivas clinches playoff berth]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JOSEPH D'HIPPOLITO
STATS MLS Correspondent

CARSON, Calif. (STATS) - Neither injuries nor a poor start could
keep Chivas USA from clinching a playoff berth and taking a
share of first place in Major League Soccer's Western
Conference.

Justin Braun and Sacha Kljestan scored in a 3-minute span late
in the second half to lead Chivas USA to a 2-0 victory over the
Kansas City Wizards on Saturday night.

Chivas USA (13-9-5), which has 44 points and qualified for the
postseason for the fourth straight year, moved into a three-way
for first place in the Western Conference with Houston and Los
Angeles. Chivas has one match in hand on both the Dynamo and
Galaxy, and has three matches remaining.

Goalkeeper Zach Thornton made two saves for his MLS-leading 12th
shutout and moved within one of the single-season club record
set by Brad Guzan in 2007.

"I don't think we were sharp in the first half," said Chivas USA
coach Preki, who was without eight players due to injury. "We
were slow and sluggish.

"We tried to warn the guys all week that this is not going to be
an easy game. But we could tell from the first moments that we
really were not up for it."

Chivas used more defensive pressure to take control in the
second half.

"The second half was a way better performance for us," Preki
said. "When we pressed them in their half (of the field), we
pressed them with a lot more commitment. Our starting point with
the ball was already closer to the goal."

Interim Wizards coach Peter Vermes agreed Chivas improved its
play in the second half.

"I would say for 65 minutes, we were pretty good," Vermes said.
"But physically, from a fitness perspective, we died out in the
65th minute and they started taking a lot of the play."

Braun, out most of the season with a concussion, scored his
first goal since May 2 in the 71st minute.

Kljestan began the sequence with a 32-yard free kick that
goalkeeper Kevin Hartman deflected across his body with his
right hand.

Yamith Cuesta recovered the ball on the right side of the
penalty area and passed to Braun, who scored from four yards.

Kljestan added his fifth goal in the 74th minute. Eduardo
Lillingston secured Mariano Trujillo's long ball along the right
flank and crossed to Kljestan, who dribbled past three defenders
before converting from seven yards.

"We let Sacha skate right into the 18 (-yard penalty area) and
pull the trigger," Hartman said. "At this point, with our season
on the line, you'd expect everybody to be flying in and do
whatever they can to make sure they extend that hope, that dream
of making the playoffs."

The Wizards (8-12-8) had their best chance to score in the 57th
minute, but Claudio Lopez's 30-yard shot hit the crossbar.

Chivas USA's Claudio Suarez made his first MLS start this season
and played the first 45 minutes. Suarez played in just nine
games in all competitions due to a strained right calf.

The Wizards' Jimmy Conrad and Chivas USA's Jonathan Bornstein,
both defenders, represented the United States in a World Cup
qualifier in Honduras.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/125845-Chivas-clinches-playoff-berth</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/125845-Chivas-clinches-playoff-berth</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 11 Oct 2009 05:59:58 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Wizards-Chivas USA Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
STATS Writer

Kansas City (8-11-8) at Chivas USA (12-9-5), 10:30 p.m. EDT

Chivas USA could be in position to secure its fourth consecutive
playoff appearance Saturday night, but the club appears to have
bigger things in mind.

Chivas looks to move closer to its first Supporters' Shield when
it hosts a Kansas City Wizards team that could be eliminated
from postseason contention.

Chivas USA (12-9-5) will know before it takes the field Saturday
if a playoff spot is at stake.

The team is tied with idle Seattle for fifth in MLS, five points
ahead of the ninth-place tie between D.C. and FC Dallas and six
in front of Toronto FC in 10th. Chivas has two games in hand on
United and Dallas - both idle Saturday - while also holding both
head-to-head tiebreakers, so a tie against the Wizards (8-11-8)
would be enough to outdistance them.

Chivas has also played one less game than Toronto, which hosts
San Jose earlier Saturday. A loss or tie by Toronto would give
Chivas a chance to clinch a postseason berth that night.

Chivas USA improved its chances by winning 2-0 at D.C. last
Saturday. That victory is part of a 2-0-2 stretch that has given
the club confidence that it can make a run for the Supporters'
Shield, awarded to the team with the most points in the regular
season.

"We want to bring some silverware and make some history,"
midfielder Michael Lahoud told the team's official Web site. "We
want to bring a first championship to the team. Our first goal
is to come in first place overall in the league. Then we'll
tackle the playoffs."

To reach the top spot in MLS, Chivas will have to overcome a
five-point gap on Eastern Conference-leading Columbus, which
visits New England on Saturday.

"The goal now is to win the rest of the games and get first in
the league," forward Justin Braun said.

Chivas has outscored opponents 5-1 over its last four games
behind the resurgence of Sacha Kljestan.

The midfielder has four goals in the last seven games after
failing to find the back of the net in his first 14 matches of
the season, including a 1-all tie with the Wizards on May 23.

Chivas is 2-0-2 all-time against Kansas City at The Home Depot
Center.

The Wizards are in danger of missing the playoffs for the third
time in five years.

They're six points back of the eighth-place Revolution, so a
Kansas City loss coupled with New England tying or beating the
Crew would eliminate it from contention.

The Wizards are 3-1-2 in their last six after an 0-5-2 stretch.
They tied Houston 1-all on Sunday despite playing 73 minutes
with a man advantage.

"It was a playoff game for us and it was a must-win," coach
Peter Vermes told the Wizards' official Web site.
"Mathematically we are still alive, but we lost a huge
opportunity."

Kansas City will have to endure the absence of defender Jimmy
Conrad, while Chivas is without defender Jonathan Bornstein.
Both players are with the U.S. national team for its final two
World Cup qualifiers at Honduras on Saturday and against Costa
Rica four days later.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/125432-Wizards-Chivas-USA-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/125432-Wizards-Chivas-USA-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:55:11 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Wizards 1, Dynamo 1]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[HOUSTON - The Houston Dynamo clinched a playoff berth. They were
just disappointed by missing a chance to get more.

Houston settled for a tie atop the Western Conference after
blowing a second-half lead Sunday in a 1-1 draw against the
Kansas City Wizards.

Luis Angel Landin's goal put the Dynamo ahead in the 26th
minute, but Kansas City's Zoltan Hercegfalvi scored in the 73rd
minute against a Houston team that was down to 10 men.

"It's a good point," Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear said. "We're
happy that we qualified for the playoffs. It was a tough game,
and obviously, playing with a man down really hurt us.

"We are disappointed obviously, but considering that was going
on, and playing down a man for 70 minutes, it was a great
effort."

Instead of taking over sole possession of the top spot in the
West, Houston (12-8-8) tied Los Angeles for the lead with 44
points. Each team has two games left, including Oct. 18 when the
Galaxy play in Houston.

The Dynamo wrapped up a spot in the postseason for the fourth
time in as many years since moving from San Jose.

Kansas City (8-11-8) remained in sixth place in the East, six
points out of a playoff spot after increasing its unbeaten
streak to four games (2-0-2).

"We knew what was at stake coming into the game," Wizards
midfielder Davy Arnaud said. "Three points would have been nice,
but we have three games left and we are going to try and go and
win all of those."

Houston played a man down starting in the 18th minute when Cam
Weaver was red carded for a hard tackle from behind. Eight
minutes later, however, Landin scored his first career MLS goal
off Brian Mullan's cross.

"It was a nice goal, and I hope it is the first of many more to
come," Landin said. "It is always difficult to play against
teams that are playing desperate to get into the playoffs. Their
defenders are very physical and with the ejection that we had
very early on, that really complicated things. That was very
disappointing.

"I would have liked for my team to win today. That would have
made for a complete day."

The Dynamo were playing without leading goal-scorer Brian Ching,
who was serving a one-game suspension.

Kansas City tied the game when Hercegfalvi took Claudio Lopez's
pass behind the Houston backline on the right box, hitting it
off goalkeeper Pat Onstad and into the right side of the net for
his first MLS goal.

"Obviously we came in here wanting to get three points," Arnaud
said. "We went a man up early, and we didn't push the game like
we should have and they got the goal. After that, their main
priority is to defend and so it's tough to break them down at
times. That being said, we got the goal and gave ourselves a
chance and just couldn't get that second one."

Kevin Hartman made three saves for the Wizards, who likely need
to win out and get some help to make the playoffs.

"Every game that we've played we've used as a measuring stick to
see where we're at as a team," Kansas City coach Peter Vermes
said. "Today we fell short and it's a team you have to measure
yourself against because it's a consistent, well-organized,
successful team and we had to measure up today."

---=

Story from: STATS LLC, http://www.stats.com]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/124497-Wizards-1-Dynamo-1</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/124497-Wizards-1-Dynamo-1</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 04 Oct 2009 22:40:54 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Wizards-Dynamo Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA
STATS Senior Writer

Kansas City (8-11-7) at Houston (12-8-7), 3:00 p.m. EDT

The Houston Dynamo finally ended their scoring woes in their
last contest. They didn't even need Kei Kamara to do it.

With a chance to take the lead in the Western Conference, the
Dynamo face a desperate Kansas City Wizards team and a driven
former teammate Sunday.

Houston (12-8-7) returns from a week off trailing first-place
Los Angeles by one point in the West with three games remaining.
In their last contest, the Dynamo beat Real Salt Lake 3-2 on
Sept. 19 to take the lead in the conference and end a scoring
slump.

After being held to two goals in its previous four games,
Houston scored as many in the first five minutes versus RSL and
Brad Davis scored the game-winner in the 81st minute.

It was the seventh time in MLS history that two goals were
scored by a team in the opening five minutes of a game. Davis
assisted on a score by Brian Ching in the second minute and set
up Geoff Cameron's goal three minutes later.

"My job is to just put the ball in there and give them a
chance," said Davis, who has five goals and a team-high 10
assists on the season.

Davis is part of an offense that has found the back of the net
35 times this year. Kamara had five of those goals before being
traded to Kansas City (8-11-7) for little-used forward Abe
Thompson and cash Sept. 15.

Kamara had the game-winning header in the Dynamo's 1-0 road
victory over the Wizards on July 4.

Kamara has not scored in two games for Kansas City, but he has
taken four shots and has been active in the Wizards' attack.
Kansas City is trying to keep its slim playoff hopes alive, so
Kamara certainly has incentive enough to play hard, but he
expects to have an extra edge against his old team.

"I have to be honest about the situation," Kamara said. "I was
surprised I was getting traded. I didn't want to leave Houston -
the position that we were in. I wanted to play with the team.

"For them to say that's what they wanted to do, that's saying
they didn't want me on the team anymore. I was shocked,
surprised, but I just have to let that go, look forward."

Kansas City will take all the motivation it can get. The Wizards
may need to win their final four games and get some help to make
the postseason.

A scoreless tie with Colorado last Saturday gave Kansas City a
3-1-1 record since losing its previous four.

Kevin Hartman had three saves against the Rapids for his seventh
shutout of the year. He had four saves in July's contest with
Houston, which put five of its nine shots on goal.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/124155-Wizards-Dynamo-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/124155-Wizards-Dynamo-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 03 Oct 2009 17:41:49 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Rapids, Wizards play to scoreless tie]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[KANSAS CITY, Kan.(AP) -- Preston Burpo recorded his first shutout
in more than a year, helping the Colorado Rapids secure a road
point with a scoreless draw against the Kansas City Wizards on
Saturday night.

Colorado moved into third in the Western Conference with 39
points and is fifth overall.

Burpo, a veteran backup filling in for the injured Matt Pickens
(right knee sprain), madethree saves for his shutout since a 2-0
home victory over Chicago on Sept. 14, 2008.

Burpo got some clutch help from defender Kosuke Kimura, who
cleared Zoltan Hercegfalvi's shot after a corner kick in the
80th minute.

Kansas City's Kevin Hartman hadthree saves for his seventh
shutout of the year.

Colorado (10-8-9) tied for the third straight time and is
winless in its last four matches. Kansas City (8-11-7) has lost
just once in its last five.

Each team had plenty of chances, but neither could finish. The
Wizards outshot the Rapids 18-12, with a 4-3 advantage in shots
on goal.

The last good chance for either team to win came halfway through
second-half stoppage time, when the Wizards' Kei Kamarabroke
free on the left wing and fired a long cross into the penalty
area. Davy Arnaud made a long run at a dead sprint but could not
connect with the pass.

---=

Story from: STATS LLC, http://www.stats.com.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/122613-Rapids-Wizards-play-to-scoreless-tie</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/122613-Rapids-Wizards-play-to-scoreless-tie</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 27 Sep 2009 04:46:16 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Rapids-Wizards Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA
STATS Senior Writer

Colorado (10-8-8) at Kansas City (8-11-6), 8:30 p.m. EDT

Poor road play may end up hindering the Colorado Rapids' playoff
hopes. A match with the Kansas City Wizards, though, gives them
a good chance to help their cause.

The Rapids look to end a six-game road winless streak Saturday
night in a matchup with a Wizards team that has struggled at
CommunityAmerica Ballpark.

Colorado (10-8-8) tied San Jose 1-all at home Wednesday night to
move into a tie with Seattle for third in the Western Conference
and fifth in MLS with 38 points. The top two teams in each
conference qualify for the postseason, and the teams with the
next four highest point totals earn wild-card berths.

"It was a good point, given the circumstances, but that was a
terrible game for us," forward Conor Casey said. "We have to a
lot better if we want to get where we want to be."

The Rapids have four games remaining, but three are on the road.
Colorado is 0-4-2 away from Dick's Sporting Goods Park since a
3-2 win over New York on May 30 and 2-6-4 on the road overall.

Kansas City (8-11-6) has had trouble at home, leaving it six
points behind D.C. for the final playoff spot. The Wizards were
0-3-1 at CommunityAmerica Ballpark since the start of June
before beating FC Dallas 3-2 last Saturday.

It was Kansas City's first win at home since a 3-1 victory over
New England on June 12.

Colorado, though, needs to improve its play in order to take
advantage of the Wizards' woes at home.

The Rapids have needed some breaks to earn ties in their last
two games. Casey converted penalty kicks in each contest, both
against the Earthquakes.

The forward scored in second-half injury time Wednesday, setting
a franchise high for goals in a season with 15.

The Rapids have scored once in four of five games, but strong
defense and goalkeeping has helped them go 2-1-2 during that
span.

Preston Burpo has started in goal for Matt Pickens (knee) the
past three games. Pickens, injured in practice nearly three
weeks ago, is uncertain for Saturday's contest.

The Rapids announced Friday that midfielders Jacob Peterson and
Jamie Smith will miss the rest of the season with knee injuries.
Peterson appeared in 23 games - 12 starts - and scored two goals
while adding two assists. Smith played in four games, making
three starts.

A thin Colorado team could have trouble against Kansas City,
coming off one of its best games offensively this year. The
Wizards fell one goal short of matching a season high, set in a
4-2 win over New England on Sept. 5.

Jimmy Conrad scored the winner against Dallas. His header in the
80th minute was the defenseman's first goal of the season.

Josh Wolff continued his hot play, scoring for the fourth time
in four games. He has matched a career high with 10 goals on the
season.

Michael Kraus scored the Wizards' only goal in a 2-1 loss to the
Rapids on March 28.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/122196-Rapids-Wizards-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/122196-Rapids-Wizards-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:02:51 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Conrad's late goal lifts Wizards past FC Dallas]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By STEVE BRISENDINE
STATS MLS Correspondent

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (STATS) - The redemption of Jimmy Conrad was
not a pretty thing: An awkward sprawl - a crawl, really - on the
grass of Community America Ballpark.

Think he minded?

Not after his 80th-minute header atoned for two earlier
defensive mistakes and gave the Kansas City Wizards their first
home victory since mid-June.

"I was doing the army crawl before it went in, just to make sure
I didn't miss it," Conrad said after scoring the game-winner in
Saturday night's 3-2 win over FC Dallas. "I think if you look in
the dictionary for the sequence from goat to hero, that's pretty
much me right now."

Conrad's goal capped a late flurry for Kansas City (8-11-6),
which trailed 2-1 after 75 minutes. Josh Wolff tied it in the
77th and Conrad's goal three minutes later gave the Wizards
their first home victory since a 3-1 win over New England on
June 12. Dallas (7-12-6) has won just once in its last five
games.

"You lose focus," Dallas coach Schellas Hyndman said of his
team's late collapse "You're holding on, you get tight, and a
team gets belief to get momentum."

Santiago Hirsig scored his first MLS goal in the ninth minute -
and Kansas City's first at home since a 1-all draw against Los
Angeles on July 25 - putting the Wizards up 1-0 with a header
off Claudio Lopez's corner kick. The lead didn't hold, as
Dallas' Dax McCarty and Jeff Cunningham each turned a mistake by
Conrad into a goal.

McCarty scored in the 44th minute picking off Conrad's errant
pass 25 yards from goal, making a short run and firing a low
shot past Kevin Hartman from 20 yards.

In the 54th minute, David Ferreira stripped Conrad of the ball
and drew Hartman to his right before slotting a pass to a
wide-open Cunningham making a run up the middle.

"We had to win this game for our season to continue," Conrad
said. "So I had the weight of the world on my shoulders there
for a little while. There were no defensive mistakes tonight.
There were just the two mistakes by me that led to two goals.

"It's easy to brush it off now, but we still have video to
watch," he added with a laugh. "That's Tuesday. I can't wait for
that."

Wolff, who has four goals in Kansas City's last four games and
10 this season - matching his career high from 1999, 2004 and
2005 - deflected second-half sub Zoltan Hercegfalvi's shot just
inside the post to make it 2-2. Not long after that, Conrad took
advantage of a mistake by Dallas' back line.

George John tried to head Lopez's corner kick away from the
goal, but instead sent it looping toward Dallas keeper Dario
Sala. Sala barely kept the ball from going in for an own goal,
but it fell right in front of Conrad.

"We didn't have any breaks on our side," Sala said. "We've been
suffering the whole year."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/120978-Conrads-late-goal-lifts-Wizards-past-FC-Dallas</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/120978-Conrads-late-goal-lifts-Wizards-past-FC-Dallas</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 20 Sep 2009 04:00:15 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[FC Dallas-Wizards Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By MATT BEARDMORE
STATS Writer

FC Dallas (7-11-6) at Kansas City (7-11-6), 8:30 p.m. EDT

FC Dallas had a record-setting performance in its last match
with Kansas City. That is exactly why it won't look past the
Wizards this time.

Dallas tries to improve its slim playoff hopes Saturday night at
CommunityAmerica Ballpark, where it faces a Wizards club coming
off a successful stretch on the road.

With then-leading scorer Kenny Cooper transferred to 1860 Munich
in Germany the previous day, Dallas' Jeff Cunningham scored a
career-high four goals and David Arturo Rico Ferreira found the
back of the net twice in a 6-0 victory over visiting Kansas City
on Aug. 1.

Dallas (7-11-6) tied the franchise record for goals in a game
and posted its largest-ever margin of victory.

"We embarrassed them ... and professional athletes don't forget
that," coach Schellas Hyndman told the team's official Web site.
"They will be at their best (on Saturday)."

Cunningham looks to continue his scoring surge against the
Wizards (7-11-6) after notching two goals and two assists in a
6-3 win at Los Angeles on Saturday. Cunningham is second in MLS
with 12 goals, trailing Colorado's Conor Casey by one.

"There was just not enough speed to cover Jeff Cunningham," said
Hyndman, whose club trails sixth-place Real Salt Lake by seven
points in the Western Conference.

Cunningham earned player of the week honors for the third time
and moved past Ante Razov for second place on the career goals
list with 116.

Cunningham has 19 multi-goal games, third-most all-time behind
Razov (22) and the Galaxy's Landon Donovan (21).

Kansas City's Kevin Hartman didn't have much success against
Cunningham in the clubs' last matchup, but he remains one of the
league's most consistent goalkeepers.

Hartman stopped five shots in a 1-0 victory over New York on
Saturday for his 83rd shutout, most in MLS history. He also tops
the league's career wins list with 145.

Josh Wolff scored in the 10th minute for the Wizards, who went
2-0-1 during their road stretch.

"We had so many opportunities we missed earlier in the year,"
Hartman said. "But I think this week (three road games in eight
days) was a step in the right direction. We got two wins and we
now go back home and have to keep playing well."

Kansas City, though, was shut out in three of its last four home
games.

The Wizards acquired Kei Kamara from Houston on Tuesday. The
forward scored his first goal of the season in the Dynamo's 1-0
victory over Dallas on May 9. He has five goals in 2009.

"We know the type of speed that he has," Hyndman said. "They'll
be a better team with him."

Dallas is 2-8-2 on the road.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/120630-FC-Dallas-Wizards-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/120630-FC-Dallas-Wizards-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:30:26 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Wizards 1, Red Bulls 0]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JIM HAGUE
STATS MLS Correspondent

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (STATS) - He's recorded more wins and
shutouts than any other goalkeeper in Major League Soccer
history, but Kevin Hartman is still just grateful to be a
professional soccer player.

"It's funny, because I never even thought about numbers like
that," said the 35-year-old Hartman, who made five saves
Saturday night in the Kansas City Wizards' 1-0 victory over the
New York Red Bulls, giving him 83 career shutouts and 145 career
wins. "I just wanted to play soccer and make a career of it. I
feel really blessed to have that opportunity. I think the
longevity is one thing, but I've also been lucky, because I
played with some great players in my life who never made it. I
just persevered."

Josh Wolff gave Hartman and the Wizards an early lead, with his
ninth goal of the season in the 10th minute of play. Hartman was
the one who made it stand in the final 20 minutes, making two
tough saves in the waning moments.

Wolff stripped Red Bulls midfielder Jorge Rojas and outraced him
to the ball, sliding the ball under sprawling Red Bulls
goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul.

"It was big, because we haven't won a game in two years where we
didn't score first," Hartman said. "It was huge to get this win
and get six of the nine points on the road."

It was Kansas City's first win in Giants Stadium since the
Wizards knocked off the MetroStars franchise on April 19, 2000.

"I remember that game, because I played in it," said Wizards
interim coach Peter Vermes. "I did know it was that long, but
the team didn't know. I really enjoyed playing here, so I kept
it from the guys that we hadn't won here in so long."

"It was in the back of my mind that I hadn't won here in a
while, either with the (Los Angeles) Galaxy or Kansas City,"
Hartman said. "I knew it was our final game here, so it was good
to leave on a good note."

Kansas City (7-11-6) kept its faint playoff hopes alive with the
win, getting within six points of fourth-place New England in
the Eastern Conference.

"We had so many opportunities we missed earlier in the year,"
Hartman said. "But I think this week (three road games in eight
days) was a step in the right direction. We got two wins and we
now go back home and have to keep playing well."

Vermes knows that it begins with the play of the man in goal.

"What people don't know about Kevin is that he never misses a
practice and never takes a day off," Vermes said. "He comes to
work every day and goes after it. He's the kind of guy you want
in your locker room, because he's always going to give you a
high performance."

The Red Bulls (4-17-4) had their modest two-game winning streak
snapped. They played without captain and leading scorer Juan
Pablo Angel, who missed the game with a sprained ankle.

"We were disappointed that he couldn't play," Red Bulls interim
head coach Richie Williams said. "It's always hard to play
without your captain. We just had to move on. We gave up the
early goal and it was tough to come back. Give them credit for
defending well."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/119124-Wizards-1-Red-Bulls-0</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/119124-Wizards-1-Red-Bulls-0</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 13 Sep 2009 02:57:53 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Wizards-Red Bulls Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By PAUL DIGIACOMO
STATS Senior Editor

Kansas City (6-11-6) at New York (4-16-4), 7:30 p.m. EDT

Maybe a coaching change was all the New York Red Bulls needed.

New York looks for a third straight win under interim coach
Richie Williams when it hosts the Kansas City Wizards on
Saturday night.

The Red Bulls are in the midst of a dreadful season but have
shown signs of improvement under Williams, who took over for the
fired Juan Carlos Osorio after New York opened 2-16-4. That poor
start included a 13-match MLS winless streak - it was 16
including all competitions.

New York ended that slump with a 3-2 win over FC Dallas in its
first game under Williams on Aug. 23 before defeating defending
MLS Cup champion Columbus 1-0 on Aug. 30.

With those victories, the Red Bulls (4-16-4) ensured they will
finish with more points than the 2001 Tampa Bay Mutiny, who
compiled 14 in the worst season in MLS history.

"We haven't had a lot to be happy about here this season," said
Williams, who is 5-3-2 in his career after also having a stint
as New York's interim coach in 2006.

"To win for a second straight time is a great feeling for all of
us. We want to play for pride and for one another. It's been a
tough year, an unfortunate year. Maybe sometimes change is a
good thing and maybe this change helped in a good way. I can't
put my finger on it."

The Red Bulls haven't won three in a row since August 2008.

"I don't know what happened in the beginning of the season, but
we're playing at peace right now and I like it," said forward
Dane Richards, who scored in the 63rd minute against the Crew.

"Luck is coming around again for us," Richards said. "... We
want to give the fans something to cheer about."

The Red Bulls have sent their fans home without seeing a loss in
their last 12 matches at Giants Stadium against Kansas City,
going 5-0-7 since a 2-1 defeat April 19, 2000.

The Wizards (6-11-6) also are struggling as they try to stay in
the playoff race. They ended a four-match losing streak and
seven-game winless skid with a 4-2 victory at New England last
Saturday before losing 1-0 on the road to D.C. on Wednesday.

Kansas City fell to 1-4-0 under interim coach Peter Vermes, who
replaced the fired Curt Onalfo on Aug. 4.

"We felt as if we did something we've been talking about for a
short period of time: trying to drive the game," he said. "We
were driving the game offensively. ... But you create that many
opportunities and you have to stick the ball in the back of the
net. That's something we didn't have the conviction on."

Kansas City beat New York 1-0 at home April 23.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/118818-Wizards-Red-Bulls-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/118818-Wizards-Red-Bulls-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2009 19:03:21 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Emilio's goal lifts United to 1-0 win over Wizards]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[WASHINGTON (STATS) - Given a preference, Tom Soehn will usually
choose substance over style, meaning the D.C. United coach
embraced every ugly facet of a triumph his team desperately
needed.

Luciano Emilio scored in the 39th minute and United opened a
five-game homestand with a 1-0 victory over the Kansas City
Wizards on Wednesday night.

"It's not always going to be pretty," Soehn said. "Getting
results when it's not pretty, that's the times you need it.
Those were crucial points."

The victory moved D.C. (8-5-12) into sole possession of third
place in the Eastern Conference. United moved ahead of four
other teams fighting for the final three MLS playoff berths.

"This stretch of home games is crucial for us," Soehn said.
"We've built everything up to this point, and if we stay close,
we control our own destiny. We're not going to watch anybody but
ourselves."

Josh Wicks made five saves and notched his fifth shutout of the
season as United ran its unbeaten streak to four games (2-0-2)
and improved to 6-0-5 at RFK Stadium.

Kansas City controlled play for much of the first half but
couldn't score.

Emilio's goal came shortly after the Wizards" Jimmy Conrad and
Josh Wolff were thwarted during a three-chance sequence from 5
yards in the 36th minute.

Conrad's header glanced off the crossbar before United
goalkeeper Josh Wicks blocked Wolff's follow on a bicycle kick.
Wolff had the third shot of the flurry, which was cleared away
by a defender in traffic.

"That's usually how it works," said Wicks. "For the most part of
the first half, they had the better play, they had more chances.
But that sequence, we kept the ball out of the net and the zeros
are still on the board."

Not converting on several golden opportunities came back to
haunt the Wizards.

"It wasn't a half-chance type of night - they were clear-cut
opportunities," Kansas City interim coach Peter Vermes said. "I
was more concerned that the guys were getting frustrated a
little bit. Then, going out in the second half, we got antsy a
little bit."

The Wizards were also playing from behind during a second half
where they couldn't muster a shot.

Emilio converted a few seconds after a corner-kick opportunity.
Chris Pontius was unsuccessful with a diving header attempt at
the left post, but the loose ball squirted off the upright and
across the penalty area to Emilio, who scored his team-high
ninth goal on a low shot from the right side that beat
goalkeeper Kevin Hartman to his left.

The Wizards (6-11-6) fell to 1-4-0 under Vermes, who replaced
the fired Curt Onalfo on Aug. 4. Kansas City has dropped five of
six overall.

Vermes saw progress, just not enough tangible rewards.

"We felt as if we did something we've been talking about for a
short period of time: trying to drive the game," he said. "We
were driving the game offensively. ... But you create that many
opportunities and you have to stick the ball in the back of the
net. That's something we didn't have the conviction on."

Chance Myers received his second yellow card in the 86th minute
for a hard tackle on D.C.'s Jaime Moreno and the Wizards played
a man down the rest of the way.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/118469-Emilios-goal-lifts-United-to-1-0-win-over-Wizards</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/118469-Emilios-goal-lifts-United-to-1-0-win-over-Wizards</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2009 02:36:19 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Wizards-United Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
STATS Writer

Kansas City (6-10-6) at D.C. (7-5-12), 7:30 p.m. EDT

Playing five of their remaining six games at RFK Stadium could
be just what D.C. United need to emerge from the logjam of teams
trying to reach the MLS Cup playoffs.

United begin a key five-game homestand Wednesday night when they
face the Kansas City Wizards.

D.C. (7-5-12) has won twice in nine games (2-3-4) following a
4-1-5 stretch that appeared to be putting the club in solid
playoff position. Instead, United are tied with New England,
Salt Lake and Chivas for the final two wild-card playoff spots
while sitting one point behind sixth-place Seattle and two ahead
of 11th-place Toronto.

"We've got to stretch the five games at home and we need to take
care of business and I feel like we are in control of our own
destiny and we've got to take care of business at home," coach
Tom Soehn said.

United are 5-0-5 at RFK Stadium, collecting 10 points in the
last four games there (3-0-1). The only other remaining unbeaten
team at home is Columbus (7-0-4), the reigning MLS Cup champion
and D.C.'s opponent in the finale of the homestand Oct. 17.

United, however, failed to capitalize on home-field advantage
last Wednesday, falling 2-1 to expansion Seattle in the U.S.
Open Cup final.

D.C., which won the Open Cup last season, will host the Sounders
in league play Saturday.

Before that, United will need to show some improvement from
Saturday's 2-all tie at Dallas. They capitalized on a
controversial penalty-kick goal from forward Jaime Moreno in the
58th minute after Dallas defender Daniel Torres was issued a red
card for allegedly tripping Santino Quaranta in the box on a
breakaway.

"We have to be positive these last five games going into this
home stretch, it's been a little tense and we fought hard
(Saturday)," Quaranta said.

United are 10-1-1 against the Wizards at RFK after dropping the
first two meetings there in MLS' inaugural season of 1996.

The teams played to a 1-all tie at Kansas City on May 6 and end
the regular season there Oct. 24.

The Wizards (6-10-6), who are nine points back of the final
playoff spot, are looking to build on Saturday's 4-2 victory at
New England and win consecutive games for the first time since
April 5-11. The victory over the Revolution was Kansas City's
largest scoring output of the season and ended an 0-5-2 stretch
that saw the club get outscored 12-1.

"It's great, but at the same time, our performances need to get
better," said interim coach Peter Vermes, who got his first win
in four tries after replacing the fired Curt Onalfo. "If our
performances keep getting better, we continue to give ourselves
a good chance to win points."

Josh Wolff scored two goals Saturday, ending a nine-game
drought. The forward leads the team with eight goals and found
the net once on four shots against United in May's meeting.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/118085-Wizards-United-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/118085-Wizards-United-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:51:36 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Kan. site proposed for proposed KC Wizards stadium]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[KANSAS CITY, Kan.(AP) -- A property developer working for the
company that owns Major League Soccer's Kansas City Wizards has
proposed building an 18,500-seat soccer stadium near Kansas
City, Kan., that could open by 2011 and would sink plans to use
the stadium to revitalize a neighborhood across the border in
Kansas City, Mo.

The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City,
Kan., was scheduled to meet Wednesday to discuss the $414
million proposal. Lane4 Properties Group, the developer working
for Wizards owner OnGoal LLC, is seeking to use existing sales
tax revenue bonds, or STAR bonds, to pay for the project.

The project, which would be built near the Kansas Speedway,
would include the soccer stadium, an amateur sports complex with
at least 12 athletic fields, and an office complex that could
accommodate 4,000 workers for Cerner, a fast-growing medical
software company based in North Kansas City, Mo.

City officials in Kansas City, Mo., had hoped to use a new
Wizards stadium to anchor the revitalization of the city's
Bannister Mall area. The city had been working on a $1 billion
plan to build a mixed-used project at the defunct mall. The City
Council approved a redevelopment plan in December 2007 that
included $273.3 million in city and sales tax incentives, to be
repaid with new tax revenues from the retail portion of the
project, according to The Kansas City Star,

When financial markets collapsed a few months later, Lane4
sought additional incentives to move forward with at least the
stadium and an amateur soccer complex. But the city, facing
financial troubles of its own, was unwilling to pledge its
credit to back the bond.

Rob Heineman, president of OnGoal - whose ownership group
includes Cerner co-founders Neal Patterson and Cliff Illig -
said the most recent proposal put forth by Kansas City, Mo.,
wouldn't allow the team to meet its target of being in the new
stadium by 2011.

Wyandotte County officials said Village West has been generating
about $40 million a year in sales tax revenue. At that rate, it
is expected to repay the original STAR bond in late 2013 or
2014, six years ahead of schedule.

By using existing STAR bond revenues through 2020, as originally
planned, the Wizards stadium and office project could be funded
without needing any new revenue stream.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/118340-Kan-site-proposed-for-proposed-KC-Wizards-stadium</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/118340-Kan-site-proposed-for-proposed-KC-Wizards-stadium</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2009 18:03:34 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Wizards end skid, beat Revs 4-2]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[FOXBOROUGH, Mass.(AP) -- Josh Wolff had two goals and the Kansas
City Wizards snapped a seven-game winless streak with a 4-2
victory over the New England Revolution on Saturday night.

Wolff scored the game-winning goal in the 73rd minute and added
a second tally as the Wizards (6-10-6) fought off two
second-half goals by the 10-man Revolution (9-7-6) to give
interim coach Peter Vermes his first victory.

It was Kansas City's first win since a 3-1 victory over New
England on June 13.

Claudio Lopez opened the scoring in the third minute after Wolff
seized on Darrius Barnes' error and fed a cross for the
Argentine to finish past Revolution goalkeeper Brad Knighton.

Things went from bad to worse for the Revs in the 23rd minute
when Shalrie Joseph was sent off after a challenge on Wizards
midfielder Jack Jewsbury.

Wolff's run to the byline and cross in front of the goal forced
Jay Heaps into conceding an own goal in the 29th minute, putting
the Wizards ahead 2-0 and seemingly in control.

New England improved after the break and cut the deficit to 2-1
through Edgaras Jankauskas' side-volley in the 64th minute, but
Wolff soon grabbed the goal he had threatened to convert all
night as he tucked home a loose ball after Knighton couldn't
claim Lopez's ball at the near post.

Revolution substitute Kheli Dube drew New England within 3-2
after heading home Sainey Nyassi's cross in the 81st minute, but
Wolff scored in stoppage time to end the Revolution's three-game
winning streak.

---=

Story from: STATS LLC, http://www.stats.com.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/117555-Wizards-end-skid-beat-Revs-4-2</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/117555-Wizards-end-skid-beat-Revs-4-2</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 06 Sep 2009 03:37:08 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Wizards-Revolution Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By BRETT HUSTON
STATS Writer

Kansas City (5-10-6) at New England (9-6-6), 7:30 p.m. EDT

A loss and a tie to the Kansas City Wizards were part of a
three-game winless stretch for the New England Revolution
earlier this season.

Since then, they have been the hottest team in MLS.

The Revolution go for their fourth consecutive victory Saturday
night when they host the reeling Wizards, who haven't won since
June and didn't score a goal in August.

New England (9-6-6) was 4-5-5 after a scoreless draw with Kansas
City on July 11, its first point in three games after falling
1-0 to Los Angeles on July 4 and 3-1 to the Wizards on June 13.

That was Kansas City's last MLS win, but the Revolution are on a
tear since that 0-2-1 stretch, going 5-1-1 in seven matches.

Steve Ralston scored one goal and assisted on another in a 2-1
win over San Jose last Saturday, moving New England into third
in the Eastern Conference. The Revolution are five points behind
second-place Chicago, but have three games in hand on the Fire.

"When you get to this stage in the season, it's about results,"
said coach Steve Nicol, who has led the Revs into the playoffs
in each of his seven seasons with New England. "You don't get
any points for playing silky soccer and losing games. You get
points for winning at this stage of the year. If we can play
well at the same time, then that's fantastic - and we want to."

While New England scored six goals during its three-game winning
streak, the Wizards (5-10-6) didn't record any during an 0-4-0
August. They were outscored 10-0 in those losses and are 0-5-2
since beating the Revs in June.

Real Salt Lake was the latest team to take advantage of interim
coach Peter Vermes' stumbling club, scoring in the 18th minute
Saturday and hanging on for a 1-0 road win.

Kansas City's last goal came on Claudio Lopez's shot from beyond
midfield in a 1-all draw with Los Angeles on July 25. The
Wizards haven't been shut out in four straight games since July
4-19, 2000.

"The only thing you can do is keep working on finishing and keep
working on trying to build those chances up through the run of
play and through the way we play," said Vermes, 0-3 since taking
over for the fired Curt Onalfo on Aug. 4. "At some point, we
have to get that goal."

One change Vermes made in the loss to Salt Lake was using Chance
Myers, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 SuperDraft, in the
second half for his first action this season. The midfielder was
limited to 10 games last season after coming down with
mononucleosis, and broke his toe this preseason.

Kansas City is 6-1-5 at Gillette Stadium after the tie in its
July visit. Lopez and Davy Arnaud scored in a 3-1 win at
Foxborough on Oct. 25.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/117207-Wizards-Revolution-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/117207-Wizards-Revolution-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2009 21:29:52 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Salt Lake earns rare road win, 1-0 over Wizards]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[KANSAS CITY, Kan. (STATS) - Real Salt Lake took stock at
halftime: They were down to 10 men, with a backup keeper in goal
and an atrocious franchise history on the road.

No worries.

"We always play a man down against a full side in training,"
said keeper Chris Seitz, who made seven saves and recorded his
first career victory in Saturday night's 1-0 win over the Kansas
City Wizards. "We've done that 30 or 40 times this year. So when
that happened, we said, 'We've been here before.'"

Pablo Campos scored in the 18th minute for Real (9-9-6), which
won on the road for just the 10th time since entering MLS as an
expansion franchise in 2005.

Salt Lake had to play short-handed after the 42nd minute, when
midfielder Ned Grabavoy drew a straight red card for a foul on
Kansas City's Davy Arnaud. The victory wasn't assured until
forward Fabian Espindola cleared Zoltan Hercegfavi's header out
of the goal mouth in the closing seconds of second-half stoppage
time.

"We continue to talk about battling, having a fighting
mentality," Real coach Jason Kreis said. "Tonight was a great
example of a team believing in itself and being willing to work
for results."

It didn't hurt that Kreis' side was facing a team that hasn't
scored yet this month and hasn't won since beating New England
3-1 on June 13.

Kansas City suffered its fourth consecutive shutout loss and saw
its winless streak reach seven matches. The Wizards (5-10-6)
have not scored in 424 minutes since the first half of a 1-all
draw against the Los Angeles Galaxy on July 25. They have been
outscored 11-0 since and lost Saturday night despite outshooting
Real 17-5, including an 8-3 advantage in shots on goal.

"I just moved to midfielder, but I've played forward my whole
life," Kansas City's Herculez Gomez said. "I can tell you that
when you don't score goals, it's going to affect you. It does
weigh on us. There are teams that have a certain swagger, and
right now we're looking to find it."

Campos' goal, on assists from Robbie Russell and Andy Williams,
came after he found a seam in Kansas City's central defense. He
slipped unmarked up the middle, took a short diagonal cross from
Williams and easily beat keeper Kevin Hartman from 8 yards.

"It was just a complete breakdown," said interim coach Peter
Vermes, who has seen his team go 0-3 since he took over Aug. 4
for the fired Curt Onalfo. "They only had one guy up, so
everything was a breakdown from side to side. Everybody was
late. They just kept passing the ball and eventually they found
the last guy sitting there by himself on top of the box."

Besides Grabavoy's mandatory suspension for his ejection, Real
Salt Lake captain Kyle Beckerman will serve a one-match
suspension for yellow card accumulation. The U.S. national team
midfielder drew a caution late in the first half for fouling the
Wizards' Matt Besler.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/115956-Salt-Lake-earns-rare-road-win-1-0-over-Wizards</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/115956-Salt-Lake-earns-rare-road-win-1-0-over-Wizards</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 30 Aug 2009 15:13:31 GMT</pubDate>
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